Gegen die Wand / Head-On is music driven on almost all fronts: In storytelling itself, in reflections on the story (traditional ensemble in Instanbul) and as background (clubs, cafés, music in homes). In all Turkish cinema that matters you can nowadays see two main streams: Slow, reflective movies like Uzak and movies that are strongly driven by emotions and are very intense like this (although made in Germany). This movie is influenced by Lynch, especially some scenes of Lost Highway and Wild at Heart.
The story is about two second-generations Turkish immigrants struggling with their place in German society, more hindered than helped by their Turkish traditional roots. Suicidal for different reasons they arrange a fake-marriage to help the girl out of her strangling family relationship. True love sets in of course, but in the end traditional values overcome this. It has a bleak and dark tone. Although it may not sound too original, it is daring in its portrayal and surprising. One of the sisters is more successful in a modern looking Turkey for example as a business woman. Turkey often looks here like paradise in contrast to the depressing German immigrant slums.
Faith Akin is a linear and straightforward filmmaker. But here he makes intuitively all the right choices.
(If you liked this check out the recent Turkish movie Anlat Istanbul, a combination of Fellini's Roma with a Pulp Fiction-like structure.)
The story is about two second-generations Turkish immigrants struggling with their place in German society, more hindered than helped by their Turkish traditional roots. Suicidal for different reasons they arrange a fake-marriage to help the girl out of her strangling family relationship. True love sets in of course, but in the end traditional values overcome this. It has a bleak and dark tone. Although it may not sound too original, it is daring in its portrayal and surprising. One of the sisters is more successful in a modern looking Turkey for example as a business woman. Turkey often looks here like paradise in contrast to the depressing German immigrant slums.
Faith Akin is a linear and straightforward filmmaker. But here he makes intuitively all the right choices.
(If you liked this check out the recent Turkish movie Anlat Istanbul, a combination of Fellini's Roma with a Pulp Fiction-like structure.)